Dine and do good during Houston Restaurant Weeks

The Tex – two cheese enchiladas served with a center-cut, house-aged filet – is one of the dishes featured at Vallone’s in Gateway Memorial City during Houston Restaurant Weeks.

With fork and knife, Buzz resident Victor Roberts has launched his annual steak hunt. The goal is to taste as many steaks as his pocketbook permits, compare the marbled cuts and find the best. The only rule is that the steaks must come from one of more than 150 restaurants participating in Houston Restaurant Weeks (HRW) from Aug. 1 to Sept. 1. This month-long charity event raised about $1.3 million for the Houston Food Bank last year, and more than $4 million since 2003.

“Houston Restaurant Weeks is the largest primary fund-raising event,” says Brian Greene, president/CEO of the Houston Food Bank. “Of the $35 meal, $5 goes to the Houston Food Bank. For the typical diner, it equates to one meal. But for the Food Bank, it translates to 15 meals.”

Diners can select from two-, three- or four-course prix-fixe menus. Dinners will be $35 or $45, depending on the menu, with $5 and $7, respectively, going to charity. Lunches will be priced at $20, with $3 going to the non-profit. Brunch – a new category – was added this year for $25.

Roberts appreciates the chance to contribute to the Food Bank with the added bonus of testing out new restaurants and getting a few fancy meals at a lower cost. “A good night at a nice steakhouse will typically run you about $100,” he says. “Here, I can get a three-course steak dinner for $45.”

He plans to sample Vallone’s, a recent addition to the steakhouse scene, along with The Capital Grille at CityCentre and Lynn’s Steakhouse. Some other participating eateries include Nara, Bradley’s Fine Diner (BFD), Artista, Maggiano’s Little Italy, Peli Peli, Latin Bites, Mezzanotte Ristorante and Tony’s. All participating restaurants and their menus are posted on the HRW site.